Anytime, McNally
by dcj
Summary: Looks can be deceiving.  Everyone thinks they know what's going on, but they really have no idea.   How's that for vague?  Now you probably have no idea either :
1. Chapter 1

This one feels a little different than others I've written – more dialogue maybe…not sure. Anyways, the last story was more lighthearted so we're going a little more serious here. Hope you still like it.

Not sure about the timing on this, but Andy has not moved in with Luke.

As always…I own no part of Rookie Blue.

* * *

It had been a long week, but it was finally Friday night, and Traci was on a mission. "Come on, Andy…just one drink."

"I'm really not in the mood, Trace."

"You've been saying that all week and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Andy groaned but knew it was useless to argue with Traci when she got something into her head. "Fine…but just one."

"As long as you tell me what's going on."

"Traci."

"Andy, I'm your best friend; I know something's going on." Traci pressured. "I've barely seen you all week. And the only time we talked it was just long enough for you to tell me that you and Luke are done. I have to tell you I'm surprised; I really didn't think your breakup with Luke was going to hit you this hard."

Andy shook her head. It wasn't Traci's fault; she just didn't understand. "I really don't want to talk about that tonight."

"Fine. But my mom is taking Leo tomorrow night and we are having a proper ladies night and you **are** telling me everything." Traci warned.

"Everything?"

Traci could hear the apprehension in Andy's voice.

"Yes. Andy it will help to talk about it I promise." Traci swore. "But if you tell me you want that jackass back…"

Andy almost laughed. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Come on, let's hurry. I promise you'll feel better." Traci said, pushing a reluctant Andy forward.

They showered quickly and left for the Penny. As soon as they walked in, they headed over to join the other rookies at their usual table. Andy started to relax for the first time that week, and Traci was glad that she had made her come. She still wasn't herself, but it was something.

After her drink, Andy decided to visit the washroom before she headed out. On her way back to say goodbye to everyone, she passed by Sam and he held out his arm to stop her.

"Hey." He greeted her.

"Hey."

They had been partnered together for the last five days and he knew something was off. She was quiet all the time, barely speaking to anyone including him and that wasn't like her; it had made for a very long week. Sam had tried to ask her what was wrong a couple of times but she kept brushing him off. And she hadn't been at the Penny all week so he was starting to worry about her.

When she came in tonight, he was pleasantly surprised. He had been watching her across the bar and was relieved to see that she was finally relaxing. "Can you sit for a minute or do you have to get back?"

They always talked or greeted each other when they were at the Penny, but didn't often sit together; she was curious. "I have to go soon, but I guess I have a minute."

She sat down on the stool beside him and he met her eyes. "McNally, Are you okay?"

Andy had to fight to hold back the tears; of course Sam noticed. He always knew when something was off and he always cared enough to ask. She looked down at the bar as she gave her standard answer. "I'm fine."

Sam just rolled his eyes and turned back to his drink. If she wasn't going to give it up, he was going to have to get it out of her. "You seem upset that he broke up with you." He said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Andy was puzzled.

"Um…I'm not sure how to answer that." Sam was equally confused by her reaction. "What do you mean what do I mean? It's pretty obvious that you're upset about it."

"Yes, I'm upset, but not…what makes you think Luke broke up with **me**?" She wondered.

Sam was a bit confused; he thought that was obvious too. "Andy, it doesn't take a rocket scientist. You told me on Monday that you broke up and he's been in here every night this week drinking and flirting. You've been sad and despondent and you haven't showed up here until tonight when he's nowhere to be found. It doesn't take a genius."

"Nice." Andy let out a huff of breath; she did not know or care whether Luke was going to be here or not. "Actually, Sam, I broke up with Luke."

But then she started to wonder. "Did he say he broke up with me?"

Sam was shocked. He was sure he had everything right…and now he had to fess up that he had been listening to the rumor mill. "I know you don't like the gossiping but there's been a lot of talk in the locker room this week and I mean it sure sounded like that. I don't think he actually said it, but he definitely didn't deny it."

Andy just shook her head sadly.

"What happened?" Sam asked, curious now that he knew they had all read the situation wrong.

He was surprised when she actually started answering him; she didn't share easily.

"It hasn't been working for a while." Andy admitted. "My heart just wasn't in it," she said, meeting Sam's eyes before quickly looking away. "And I'm pretty sure he knew that."

She continued. "But the final straw happened on Saturday. My dad got sick and I had to cancel out on some plans with Luke this weekend. Even though he cancels on me all the time, he didn't take it very well. He had two high school buddies in town with their wives and we were supposed to go out for supper with them on Saturday night. My dad was admitted to the hospital on Saturday morning."

Sam's eyes went wide. He had no idea.

"Luke was really upset; I'm pretty sure he was just trying to show me off. God that sounds egotistical." She admitted, shaking her head.

Sam just rolled his eyes. _It's not egotistical when it's the truth. _He would happy to show Andy off too.

"Anyway, he was mad that I wouldn't be going; he had even told me what dress he wanted me to wear. Can you believe that?"

Sam could believe that. For Luke, it was all about the show.

"I finally told him that if he didn't realize how important my dad was to me, then it definitely was not going to work out."

Sam watched as Andy bit her lip; he knew there was more to the story. "And?"

"And we broke up." She finished shortly.

"There's more." Sam stated. It wasn't a question.

Andy blushed as she looked down at the bar. "He might have thrown your name around a little too." She revealed sheepishly.

When Sam didn't say anything, she continued reluctantly. "He's been pressuring me to change partners."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise. He knew Luke was not happy about Andy spending time with Sam even if it was work. But Sam was not expecting him to do anything about it; he was hoping that Luke had finally accepted their partnership. _A change like that doesn't look good on a rookie's record; Callahan knows that_.

"I've refused anytime it was mentioned so when I broke it off; he implied that it had nothing to do with my dad, but everything to do with you."

Andy could see Sam's jaw clenching and unclenching as he tried to maintain his control, and she could tell that he was not happy. She knew she should probably just go and leave it at that, but the floodgates had been opened and there was no stopping them now.

"Anyways, my dad's been in the hospital since Saturday. I spent Saturday and Sunday with him while we were off. Now that I've been back to work, I leave right after shift to catch the bus to the hospital and spend the evening. I'm all he's got so I sit with him while he has supper and then when visiting hours are over, I go to his house to check on it and take in the mail and then I go home to bed."

Sam was worried. "What about you? When do you eat?" _She was probably too busy taking care of her father to worry about herself._

"I try to grab something when I can." She admitted.

Sam frowned. That wasn't good enough for him.

"Does Nash know?" He asked.

"No one does." She said as she shook her head. "And I'd like to keep it that way please."

Sam just nodded; he knew how important her privacy was to her, especially when it came to her father.

"I will tell Traci though." She said. "I've just been so busy and tired that we haven't had a chance to talk yet. We're supposed to have girls night tomorrow night so I was going to tell her everything then."

"Andy, why didn't you call me?" He asked softly; he was a little hurt that she didn't think to ask him for help with this right away.

She just kept looking down. He had called her Andy, and with such tenderness; it hit her hard and she really couldn't speak.

"You shouldn't be going through this alone." Sam told her. "I could have been driving you and helping you. I was giving you space because I thought you were upset about Callahan, if I would have known I would have been right there."

"I wish you would have told me." He added quietly.

"Thanks, Sam. But it's OK. I'm not used to asking for or needing help with this kind of thing. As Luke proved, it doesn't pay to start depending on other people – and I depend on you for enough already. I don't need to add my personal burdens on to that."

Without even thinking, Sam put his hand on hers and Andy couldn't help feeling overwhelmed by the gesture. The tears started to build up and she stood up quickly to leave, but Sam held her back. She had finally opened up to him and he was not letting her go that easily.

"Andy, I've seen people cry before. You don't have to hide it from me." He really wanted her to trust him.

Her voice was so quiet; he could barely hear her over the din of the crowd. "If you cry, people know you've been broken. And no one wants damaged goods…no one does… not if they have a choice."

"_It's not about choice anymore_." Sam admitted under his breath.

"What?"

_Did he say that out loud?_ "Crying doesn't mean you're broken, Andy; it means you feel something. And there's nothing wrong with that. "

"Cops shouldn't be weak." She countered.

"Andy you are far from weak. You are one of the strongest people I know." He said, trying to give her a reassuring smile.

Andy's attempt to return it failed miserably. "I need to get going."

"Why?"

"I don't want to use you." She answered truthfully.

Sam had no idea where that was coming from. "You don't use me."

"Are you sure? Because if you are, I'm pretty sure you're the only one who doesn't think so." She revealed. "It's not like I haven't been told."

Sam was starting to get upset again. "What? Who told you that?"

"More than one person…" She avoided, not about to name names. "They said I was taking advantage of you."

"Andy, I do things because I want to. You should know better than anyone that I make up my own mind. I don't get manipulated easily, and I don't help someone because I expect something in return." He chuckled quietly to himself at that.

"What?"

She had laid a lot out on the line tonight and he decided it was only fair to be honest. "It doesn't stop me from hoping for something more though." He said shyly.

They exchanged a meaningful glance and she moved her free hand to his arm.

She gave him a small smile. _When will the timing ever be right? _"I wish I was in that place right now Sam, because I know I've been hoping for more too; I really have. I could never fully commit to Luke when my heart wanted you. But I have so much going on right now that I can't even think straight."

He got it; he did. It didn't make it easier, but he did understand.

When Andy didn't come back to the table to say goodbye, Traci had looked around to see if she was still there. When she saw Andy deep in conversation with Sam, Traci turned back to the table knowing that if anyone could help her friend besides her, it would be Sam.

Traci wasn't the only one to notice the intense conversation though, and the minute Andy put her hand on Sam's arm, Jerry was bound and determined to stop it from going any further than that.

"Sammy." Jerry interrupted.

"Jerry, give us a minute." Sam ordered.

"But…"

Sam just turned and stared Jerry down; he wasn't asking. Jerry walked away shaking his head. _When will that man learn?_

Sam turned back to Andy. "Let me help…please, Andy. I want to be that person you depend on. You can count on me Andy. I know you don't trust a lot of people, but…"

"Sam, I've trusted you for so long – even before I realized it. I was so busy guarding my heart from Luke that I didn't even see you coming. You had my trust, my heart, all of it before I could even think to protect myself from it. By the time I realized it, I was so scared to admit it that I kept up the charade with Luke. I really didn't mean to use you." She added sadly.

Sam still had her hand in his so he squeezed it tighter trying to reassure her. "I told you…I have never felt used. I have felt disappointed…jealous maybe, but not used. I wanted to be a part of your life in whatever capacity. I didn't always enjoy it, but I was partially responsible too. I mean I could have stepped up to the plate and tried harder…we both know you probably wouldn't have been able to resist me." He added, trying to lighten the mood.

Sam was rewarded with the first genuine smile he had seen on her face in a long time. When it reached her eyes, he had to blink back the tears in his own. He had missed her this past week.

_OK…that's enough. _This time Jerry wasn't going to be deflected; he could see that it was getting even more serious. "Sammy, can I talk to you?"

Sam was about to glare at him again, when Andy stood up. Sam just sighed wondering why Jerry had to go sticking his nose in. _They were finally getting somewhere._

"It's OK, Sam. I really do have to go." She said, making it clear to Sam where she was headed and that she didn't want Jerry to know.

Sam tried to stand too. "Just let me pay and I can take you," he offered.

She shook her head, and waited for him to sit back down. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and whispered into his ear. "Please don't give up on me."

Sam recovered just in time to watch her walk away. As the door closed, Jerry immediately sat down with a frown. Before he could even utter a word, Sam stopped him; he knew that face. "Save it! You have no idea what you're talking about."


	2. Chapter 2

Sam recovered just in time to watch her walk away. As the door closed, Jerry immediately sat down with a frown. Before he could even utter a word, Sam stopped him; he knew that face. "Save it! You have no idea what you're talking about."

Both men stared at their drinks cursing each other under their breath.

On the other side of the bar, the rookies had just watched the exchange between Sam and Andy as well.

Gail let out a huff of breath and mumbled to herself. "I hope she left the leash."

Traci flipped her head towards Gail, hoping she didn't hear her right. "What was that?"

"I'm pretty sure you heard me." Gail said flippantly.

"Listen, Frosty…" was all Traci was able to get out.

"Oh, please. She's just trying to play the sympathy card. Callahan drops her and the first thing she does is run to Swarek. Man I hope he doesn't fall for that."

Traci was about to give Gail a piece of her mind, but Chris spoke first.

"Gail!" He was not happy with her right now. "You have no idea what's going on."

"I don't **need** to know." Gail stressed. "Every time something goes wrong she runs to Swarek. Even when she had a boyfriend, she still had Swarek at her beck and call. If he doesn't see through this little charade...oh, whatever…it'll serve him right."

"I'm going to the bathroom." She announced, standing up.

The other 3 rookies sat there open mouthed as they watched Gail walk away. Traci turned to Chris. "I know she's your girlfriend and all, but man she can be cold."

Dov had been sitting quietly throughout the entire conversation. It was not at all like him, but he was still trying to get a read on the whole situation. He didn't want to believe Gail, but no one knew what, if anything was going on with Andy. "Is everything OK with Andy?" He asked Traci. "I mean **is** something else going on?"

"Not you too." Traci groaned. "I know something is bugging her; I just haven't found out yet. This isn't an act; I guarantee it. She wouldn't do that to Sam." Traci knew that for a fact.

"Well, I know I've never seen her like this." Dov admitted. "Will you let us know if you find out anything?"

Although Dov seemed sincere in his request, Traci knew she couldn't give him a definite yes. "I can't break Andy's confidence, but I will let you know if she's OK. But please trust me; she doesn't try to lead him on. She wouldn't do anything to hurt Sam."

"I know she wouldn't." Chris said without a doubt in his mind. He could see how much his friend cared for Sam whether she was aware of it or not. He was confident that Andy would not use Sam like that. Now he just had to convince Gail of that, but she seemed pretty adamant and almost a little too interested.

When Gail got back, Chris was still upset at where his thoughts had led him.

As she was about to sit down, she said, "I didn't see the leash, but I'm pretty sure I…"

"Wow, Gail." Chris muttered as he pushed his chair out and frowned. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

She was a little too concerned for his liking. "Are you ready to go?"

She looked a little sheepish and just nodded as she stood up to join him.

"Anyone else need a ride?"

"No, we're good." Traci and Dov answered together.

Chris and Gail walked out just as the silence was broken at the bar. Sam had heard Jerry take a deep breath, ready to start again. "I don't want to hear it."

"Too damn bad because I'm going to keep on saying it until I get through to you."

"Don't push me Jerry."

"Sam."

Sam hated that tone, and he always knew what was coming next.

"Sam. She has been using you since day one. Even when she was with Callahan, she had you wrapped around her finger. She knows what buttons to push. I know her type."

"You don't know anything about her." Sam ground out through his teeth.

"I know what a mess she's made of you. You pined away for her the whole time she was with Callahan; and now when he finally got wise and dumped her ass, she's expecting you to pick up the pieces. Don't make the same mistake as he did. Stop it before it even starts or she's going to break your heart." Jerry vowed.

"I know she's had a crappy life, but you don't need her kind of problems. Her mom may have left her, but that was a long time ago. And her dad…well I don't like to talk bad about a brother but from what I've heard..."

Sam's eyes shot up to Jerry and he looked him straight in the eye. "Then don't…because right now her dad…" Sam's eyes grew wide as he stopped mid sentence; he needed to settle down before he said something that couldn't be taken back.

"…Just shut the hell up, Jerry." Sam concluded.

"No…she will never commit…not to you, not to anyone. She doesn't know how, and I think you both know it. One of you needs to stop this, and I don't care which one."

Sam thought back to his conversation with Andy. "Have you talked to Andy about this too?"

Jerry at least had the decency to look a little guilty. "Someone had to; she treats you like shit. I just told her that she needed to leave you alone. She knows she's not what you need; I told her you deserved better."

"You have no idea what I need or want." Sam was trying not to lose his temper, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it in check. He didn't dare let go of his drink for fear of what his hands might do if they were free.

"I have no idea? How many times have I dragged your drunken ass home after she left here with Callahan? You were a disaster while she was sleeping with him, and there is no way in hell she is coming after you now. Callahan breaks up with her and she's got you tied up in even more knots than before – it's only going to get worse."

"You don't know what you're talking about – and you don't get to decide how I feel and what I do." Sam was starting to reach his breaking point.

"Sammy…"

"No, Jerry. I know what I'm doing. You don't have to worry about me; I can take care of myself. I appreciate that you're trying to be my friend; I do. But Andy is my friend too."

Jerry rolled his eyes. "You can't be friends with that woman and we both know it."

Sam just slapped his money down on the bar and left without another word.

_Yes, I can._ Sam thought. _…at least for now._

* * *

Andy had headed straight for the hospital when she left the Penny. She had just spent the last couple hours with her father. She had apologized for being late explaining that she went to the bar with her friends, but Tommy assured her that it was fine. He was actually feeling a little guilty that he had been taking up all of her time anyway. He was happy that she made some time for herself.

She was glad to hear that, and didn't feel as bad when she told him that she would only be stopping by quickly tomorrow night since she would be spending the evening with Traci. Her dad assured her that he would be just fine on his own for one night.

With visiting hours over, Andy hugged her father and left to catch the bus to his apartment. As soon as she closed the door, she was startled by something in the hallway immediately to her left. Her surprise was replaced quickly by recognition when she realized that Sam was asleep on a chair just outside the room.

"Sam." She said quietly.

"Mmmm…Andy." He murmured, still asleep but with a gentle smile slowly taking over his face.

Andy couldn't help but smile back as she tried again. "Sam." She repeated as she placed her hand tenderly against his cheek.

He woke with her touch.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, pretty sure she knew the answer.

"I'm here to give you a ride home." He answered.

She tilted her head to the side and spoke in a mildly accusing tone. "Sam."

"McNally...Andy…please…let me do what I can." He wasn't sure if he was above begging or not, but he didn't have to worry about it getting that far.

"OK." She relented, and he stood to join her.

As they walked towards toward the exit, Sam wondered aloud. "Have you eaten anything tonight?"

Andy didn't want to say and that was answer enough for him. He immediately insisted on taking her out somewhere to eat.

They stopped by her dad's quickly so she could check on things and take in the mail. When she turned to tell Sam she'd be right back, he was already waiting for her on the sidewalk. She just smiled to herself at his thoughtfulness and let him tag along as she did what she needed to do. Within 10 minutes they were back in the truck and on their way.

Sam took Andy to one of their favorite lunch time diners, and after they had ordered, an uncomfortable silence had taken over the table. Andy wasn't sure if Sam was expecting her to talk about her father or not. She thought she might want to but she was still worried about whether or not it was too much of a burden. And Sam could tell she was unsure.

So he took it upon himself to get the conversation started and hopefully help her to loosen up. If all she did was relax a little, that was fine with him. If she decided she needed to talk more that was ok too. He would leave it up to her to decide, but he was going to do his best to make her feel comfortable either way.

Sam started telling her stories about his rookie year. She had heard some of them before, but it didn't matter; she just liked listening to him talk. Liked that she didn't have to say anything if she didn't want to.

Their food came and Sam continued to talk between bites, succeeding in keeping her mind occupied. After one particularly funny story, Andy found herself laughing, which thrilled Sam. _Mission accomplished _he thought as he looked down to take another bite. He was starting to see the old Andy coming out and he wanted that more than anything.

But his joy was short lived as her laughter stopped too soon after it started. Sam looked up to see her eyes clouding over with guilt. He knew exactly how she felt…knew that she was feeling bad for enjoying herself while her father was in the hospital. But there was something else too; like she was struggling with a choice.

"Andy…" Sam started, wanting to assure her that it was ok to be happy sometimes too.

"You know…he wasn't always a bad father." She said quietly, her decision made.

Sam sat back, knowing it was her turn. He wanted to be there for whatever she needed, and now it seemed like she needed to talk.

"No?"

"No. When I was younger…before my mother left…he spent all his free time teaching me about being a cop. I could pick a lock before I even got out of elementary school, and I knew at least three ways to take down someone twice my size."

Sam smiled at that. Andy had told him that she rebelled by making out with the wrong guys, but he could also see her putting a guy in his place if she needed to too.

"But it all changed as soon as she left. Suddenly, he just didn't seem to have any time for me anymore. He only had time for one thing. He tried to hide it from me, but I always knew."

"Sam?"

"Hmmm?"

"He gave up after she left. He didn't just stop taking care of me; he stopped taking care of himself too. I've tried my best, but I just couldn't be there all the time." She looked down and stared at her hands. "I didn't want to be there anymore; I couldn't stand to watch him throw his life away. And now there's no going back…"

She let out a sigh. "There's a chance he could need a new liver."

Sam's eyes widened, but it didn't truly surprise him. Andy hadn't told him much before tonight, but he knew; Tommy had been in rough shape for a long, long time. Sure he had been going to meetings and started cleaning himself up lately, but after years of abuse, his body was finally fighting back.

"I'm probably the best match you know…being his daughter and all, but…" She looked up at him then, meeting his gaze. "…is it bad that I'm not sure?"

"Andy, your life hasn't been easy and that's partially his fault."

He stopped her halfhearted protest before it even started. "No…don't get mad at me; you know it's the truth. I'm not trying to be mean; you just need to realize that he's hurt you and those feelings don't just go away because he's sick. You've already sacrificed a lot for him, and the majority of that time you didn't have a choice. So no…it's not bad for you to have reservations…it's natural." He assured her.

"When will you know for sure?"

"In the next few days…once all the tests are back."

"Well, then let's worry about that if and when it happens." He said as he put his hand on hers. "Either way, you don't have to go through it alone."

Andy gave him a small smile, and was thankful that she had decided to talk to him. She knew she could trust him; she did. She just finally let herself, and she was glad that she had. She usually kept everything bottled up until she burst; it was a relief not to let it get that far. Because she knew from past experience, nothing good ever came from that.

They finished their meal and Sam insisted on paying for Andy's supper. When he dropped her off at her apartment, Andy again leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For supper…for just being you." She said. "Has anyone ever told you what a great guy you are?"

"Of course." He teased. "…but it's always nice to hear." _Especially from her._

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Any time, McNally. And I mean that."

"I know you do, and that's part of what makes you so great."

Sam grinned, knowing he probably shouldn't be flirting at a time like this, but he wasn't one to pass up on a great opportunity. "Only part? Then what's the other part?"

Andy just shook her head. "That's a conversation for another time."

"Night Sam."

"Night McNally."

* * *

For the first time in a week, Andy felt like she had really and truly slept. She woke up completely refreshed and after getting ready, she headed out the door to walk to work. Just as she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked up to see Sam resting against his truck with one coffee in each hand.

She smiled. "We have to stop meeting like this."

He grinned. "No we don't."


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the reviews; I love the feedback. In fact, I hadn't even planned to write parts of this chapter until after I read the reviews.

Not enough Sam and Andy face time for my liking, but everyone needs a little girl talk once in a while - though Sam may not tend to agree after tonight.

* * *

For the first time in a week, Andy felt like she had really and truly slept. She woke up completely refreshed and after getting ready, she headed out the door to walk to work. Just as she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked up to see Sam resting against his truck with one coffee in each hand.

She smiled. "We have to stop meeting like this."

He grinned. "No we don't."

Andy tilted her head to the side, but she couldn't wipe the smile from her face. "I'm serious, Sam; I would've been fine walking."

"Yeah, but this coffee would've been cold by the time you got there."

She chuckled and grabbed it before climbing into the passenger side. "Thanks."

"Like I said…anytime."

They rode to the barn in a comfortable silence just content with each other's company and a good cup of coffee.

When they got to the station, they walked in together discussing the night's plans. Sam knew that Andy was having a ladies night with Traci, but she quietly confirmed that she would still be stopping by the hospital first before meeting Traci at her apartment.

As usual, Sam was the perfect gentleman, holding the door open and guiding her through first; it was second nature to him. They walked through the door continuing to discuss Andy's plans to get where she needed to go. She didn't want to ask Traci for a ride because she didn't want to dump it on Traci like that and Sam was trying to get her to accept a ride. He was only planning to go the Penny so he could easily give her a ride and head to the bar after. He thought he might also like to go in and see Tommy for himself but he wasn't sure how to broach that subject with Andy.

As they walked to the locker rooms, deep in quiet conversation, their progress was being closely monitored. Oliver and Noelle were already in uniform standing at Shaw's desk with Jerry and watching the duo intently. Jerry was grimacing as he recalled his conversation with Sam last night.

"I tried, man. Last night, I hit him with everything I had and he just stood up and walked out. It's someone else's turn now; I give up." He said.

"I don't think he's going to listen. He's had it bad for her from day one." Noelle confirmed. "And they obviously rode in together this morning; are you sure it's not too late for him already."

"No way." Jerry contradicted. "He would have told me...right? I think you should give it a go, Noelle. Maybe he'll listen to you."

She just laughed. "Don't hold your breath, Barber. Since when has Sammy ever listened to me? What about you Oliver?"

"I prefer staying on Sammy's good side."

Jerry wasn't being swayed. "We're his friends, man. – tough love, brother…tough love."

Oliver and Noelle exchanged looks; neither one was too keen on talking to Sam. He wasn't going to be very receptive and they didn't want to piss him off. But they did have their reservations about Andy. They both thought she was a nice girl; they just weren't sure if she was right for Sam. They'd both heard things in the locker room, and they didn't want her to break Sam's heart. Sam would not fare well if she ran out on him.

Before the conversation could go any further, Sam joined them. He was going to say something, but from the look on Jerry's face, he already knew what they were talking about. He said a quick good morning and headed straight for parade.

All three sighed knowing they'd been caught and followed him into the room.

Andy entered shortly after and sat down next to Traci. "You look better." Traci commented.

"Thanks, I feel a little better. It was a good night; I slept like a baby."

Not one to beat around the bush, Traci commented. "That looked like quite a conversation you were having with Swarek last night."

Andy blushed as Best walked in the room; she just rolled her eyes at Traci and mouthed, "Later."

Traci grinned glad to see a little life in Andy's eyes, though it was short lived. Andy was assigned to desk with Gail for the day and neither one of the ladies looked too happy about it. Unfortunately for both of them, there wasn't much they could do.

Before Sam left, he stopped by the front. "Don't leave before I get back." He ordered Andy; he was pretty sure he had convinced her to accept his ride, but he just wanted her to know he was serious.

"Fine…go." She agreed. He laughed as she pushed him towards the exit.

After about 10 minutes of uncomfortable silence, Gail spoke first, trying to be nonchalant. "So, you and Swarek…that was quick."

"What are you getting at?" Andy asked, rolling her eyes.

"Last night at the Penny, a ride this morning, 'don't leave before I get back'. I'm just saying…"

"Saying what, Gail?" Andy was getting frustrated with the blond already and they hadn't even been working together for a half hour.

"He likes you; don't hurt him." She blurted.

Andy was taken aback. "Are you jealous?" She wondered out loud before she could stop herself.

"Of course not." Gail protested. At Andy's look, she added, "I'm not."

Andy had seen her leave the Penny with Sam the night the ties were cut, but she didn't know what happened after that. Although she wasn't sure she wanted to know, she couldn't help her curiosity. "Did something..."

Gail exhaled loudly. "There was never anything between me and Swarek; yes I had a little crush, but I'm with Chris now."

"You still seem pretty concerned about Sam." Andy noted.

"I just think he's one of the good guys." She said as she thought back to that night when they walked out to get 'some air'. They talked for a few minutes and then both decided they just didn't want to be there. He waited till she got in her car and drove away before pulling out himself. "I just don't want to see him get hurt."

"I don't want to hurt Sam." Andy defended.

"He's not a rebound guy, Andy. Just because Callahan broke up with you doesn't mean you should just jump into something with Sam without thinking about it. He has real feelings for you and he doesn't deserve that."

Andy had had enough. "I am sick and tired of people assuming that."

She rolled her chair over to Gail and looked her in the eye speaking under her breath so no one else could hear. "I broke up with Luke OK…not the other way around and my feelings for Sam are part of the reason why I did it. Not the whole story, but definitely part of it."

Gail was completely baffled. "You broke up with Callahan? But…you were so sad…and did you know that…"

"I'm well aware of the picture Luke's been painting." Andy confirmed.

"Then why don't you say something?" _She sure as hell would._

"Because I'm trying to be the bigger person here." Andy groaned, clearly frustrated. "I don't want to get into the whole he said she said thing. Does it bother me? Yes. But people are going to talk no matter what I do. And that's another reason why I haven't just jumped into things with Sam. I really do like him…a lot. But I don't want people to think that I'm using him to get over Luke."

Gail's eyes were still wide as everything was sinking in. "Why does he want you to wait for him?"

"You're the one that said he's one of the good guys and you're right. I've got some personal stuff going on and Sam is just being a friend. That's it. At some point, we both hope it will be more, but right now I have too much going on and it wouldn't be fair to Sam."

That surprised Gail; she really and truly thought that Andy was using Sam, when she couldn't have been further from the truth. Chris had tried to convince her last night that something else was going on but she believed the worst. Maybe this was why she always felt like she was on the outside looking in with her fellow rookies; the rest of them just seemed to have that trust that she hadn't awarded or earned yet.

"I'm sorry, Andy."

Andy wasn't going to hold a grudge. "You didn't know."

"I know, but I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

Gail decided to extend on olive branch. "Do you want me to get people to back off? Do you want **me** to tell them that you broke up with Callahan?"

"Thanks for the offer, Gail, but as long as Sam knows that's all that matters to me."

They sat in a more comfortable silence for a few minutes until Gail stood up. "Wanna coffee?"

"Sure…thanks."

The rest of the day was spent working and even chatting a little. Andy was actually happy that Gail had said something even if it was snarky at first. It cleared the air. Although Andy was never really close to Gail, she was close to Chris and she wanted to at least get along with the blond. With the air clear, they might just be able to do that.

At the end of the shift, Gail decided that the day had gone well enough that she could press her luck. "So what is going on with Swarek tonight? Why do you have to wait for him?"

Andy laughed. "He's just giving me a ride somewhere, that's all. I know he's a good guy Gail, believe me I know."

"Is everything ok?" She asked, remembering Andy's demeanor earlier in the week.

"It will be." Andy answered and she was pretty sure that it would…eventually.

Gail accepted that and let it go.

* * *

Sam had been working alone and was worried when he got a call late in the day, but he was able to get it cleared up quickly. He was happy when he got back to the station to find that Andy had waited for him.

After they both got changed, he drove her to the hospital and was glad when she agreed to let him come in with her when she went to see her dad. They only stayed for about a half hour, long enough to ensure he was doing fine. Tommy kept looking between the two wondering what was going on. He knew that Andy had broken up with Luke and it didn't bother him in the least. He was surprised to see that Sam had accompanied Andy, but it was a pleasant surprise. He always liked Swarek and if he was reading things right, his daughter seemed to like him too.

When they left, Tommy was feeling pretty good about things, and he was happy that Andy had someone like Swarek to give her the support that he was never able to give her.

After a quick stop at her dad's, Sam dropped Andy off and he headed over to the Penny. Sam was just leaving the curb when Traci pulled up. She returned his wave but not without a curious look; she had not expected to see him there.

Andy opened her door to find Traci and a big bag of takeout. Andy had barely closed the door behind her when Traci asked. "So were you just with Swarek?"

"Sam gave me a ride." Andy said as she walked into the kitchen to get the plates and glasses. The wine was already on the coffee table.

"That's all you're going to give me? Sam gave me a ride?" Traci couldn't believe it. "Andy, I saw the conversation last night and then he drives you into work this morning; then you tell me you had a great night's sleep and now he's dropping you off again. Andy…"

Andy laughed. "Dish up and I'll start talking."

Traci was still half shocked. "OK but start from the beginning. I have a feeling I have a lot to catch up on."

Andy started talking the minute she sat down. She began by telling Traci about her weekend and how she broke up with Luke after she cancelled on his dinner plans. Traci was the perfect friend responding with just the right amount of name calling and verbal abuse.

Andy explained about going to see her dad each night, which was why she was so tired. Traci, like Sam, was wondering why she didn't ask for help. Andy knew Traci wasn't getting any more help from Dex and she knew she had enough on her plate with taking care of Leo; Andy just didn't want to add any more pressure.

"So was Swarek trying to get you to tell him what was wrong last night then?" Traci wondered.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And did you…tell him?"

"I did." Andy confirmed. "He thought I was upset about Luke breaking up with me and that's the last thing I wanted him to be thinking so I told him."

"How much did you tell him?" Traci asked, extremely curious.

"Everything I just told you, from breaking up with Luke to my dad being in the hospital; he knows it all."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Well, Luke knows that my dad went into the hospital, but he doesn't know the extent of it and he hasn't even bothered to find out. I'm not sure if I'd tell him anyway."

Traci had a few more choice words for Callahan, but decided to keep them to herself. "Are you going to tell anyone else?"

"I don't really want people to know about how bad things are with my dad. Gail knows something's going on but I didn't tell her what. I'm not quite ready to share so please don't tell anyone that he's sick or why he's sick."

"I won't Andy; you know you can trust me." Traci assured her before a huge grin broke out across her face.

Andy lifted her eyebrows, apprehension in her voice. "Should I ask what you're thinking?"

"Andy, this is huge. You trusted Swarek with this."

Andy giggled a little. "I know. But you don't know the half of it."

She proceeded to let Traci know that Sam also picked her up from the hospital and took her for supper. She told her how he kept her entertained with stories, and how he picked her up for work with a coffee this morning and took her to the hospital tonight.

"He really likes you." Traci said.

"I know, Traci. And I'm pretty sure you know how much I like him."

"I do. I wish I would have known a long time ago though because he never would have been put on ice. If I knew then what I know now about how great Sam is and what an ass Luke is, it would have been a whole different ball game."

"Yeah well, hindsight's 20-20. I wish I would have made some smarter moves myself."

"What are you going to do? I mean about Sam."

Andy looked down at her drink contemplating. "He said he wanted more and I told him I wanted that too, but I don't want to jump into anything. I need to get through this stuff with my dad first."

She looked up at her friend. "When I start something with Sam, I don't want anything to get in the way."

Traci was happy for her; Andy deserved it. "I'll do whatever I can to help."

Andy wasn't sure if she should ask or not, but thought it might be worth a try. "Does that include talking to Jerry?"

"What?" Traci looked a little panicked; she and Jerry had been in limbo since Dex left again.

"Never mind; it's OK." Andy dismissed.

"Andy!" She warned. "Spill."

"I know he's Sam's friend, and he's just looking out for him. But I'm getting tired of him telling me that I'm no good for Sam. I know I'm not perfect, but I want a shot with Sam…a real shot. And it's just hard when his best friends don't think I'm good enough. I'm trying not to let it get to me, and I don't think Sam will listen, but if this is going to work, they have to be able to accept me. I don't know how to make that happen."

"Maybe you should tell Jerry what's going on or have Sam tell him." Traci suggested.

"No." Andy refused. "I really don't want anyone to know how bad things are."

"How bad things are? Are you telling me everything?"

Andy hadn't told Traci about the possible transplant because she didn't want to worry her if she didn't have to. "I guess it's easier when people are just speculating. I know he's made a mess of things, but I don't want to shout it out to the world."

"OK. I wish I could say yes, but we really don't talk about anything unless it's work related right now." Traci revealed. "But if I get the chance, I'll tell him to back off."

That's all Andy could ask.

Once they had exhausted the topics of Andy's father and potential love life, they moved on to talk about the rest of the rookies. When Traci started going off about Gail the other night, Andy assured her that everything had been settled between the two of them.

* * *

Over at the Penny, Sam had been sitting with Noelle, Jerry and Shaw for the last couple of hours. So far, it had just been shop talk with nothing too serious, but Sam wasn't holding his breath. His three friends kept exchanging looks as if each were trying to persuade the other to talk to Sam.

He knew his reprieve had run out when Oliver and Jerry walked away leaving him with Noelle. "So you must have pulled the short straw, huh?" Sam asked keeping his eyes on his drink.

Noelle looked at him puzzled until she realized that Sam knew exactly what was going on.

"I'm going to tell you what I told Jerry; I know what I'm doing. It's nice to know you guys have my back and I appreciate it. But you're wasting your time; I don't need to be protected from McNally."

Noelle raised her eyebrows, tilting her chin at the same time. She was definitely skeptical.

"You don't believe me." Sam responded, stating the obvious.

"You have to admit that your judgment's a little clouded when it comes to McNally." Noelle challenged.

"I know what I'm doing."

"Sam, you've been hung up on her for months now."

"I'm not denying that I have feelings for Andy."

"What are you denying?"

"I'm denying that she's using it against me."

"Sam, even when she was with Callahan; she always came to you for help. And now as soon as he breaks up with her, she comes crying to you again. Jerry told me about last night."

"She didn't come crying to me." Sam contested. "I knew she was upset and I asked her to talk."

"You don't really expect me to believe that you encouraged her to cry on your shoulder about Callahan dumping her."

"Actually she set me straight on that subject." Noelle didn't catch Sam's meaning as she was too focused on her task at hand.

"But she's already taking advantage; she's got you driving her around like a chauffeur."

"I'm her partner and her friend, and I have her back too."

"But you want more."

"Dammit, Noelle. That's beside the point."

"But you can't deny it."

"Again…not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"The point is that right now my partner is going through some personal problems…" Sam held up his hand to stop Noelle from interrupting him.

"That have nothing to do with Callahan." Sam stressed.

"It has everything to do with Callahan." Noelle argued. "She's just using you because she doesn't want to be alone. Her boyfriend just left her, her mom ran out on her and her dad might just as well have." _Tough love, tough love. _ "Are you sure that you're not just the next warm body?"

"Whoa…I'll have you know that she just spent the last week…" _Shit; he just about blew it again._

Sam took a deep breath to calm himself down. "It's not what it looks like. You've got the wrong idea."

With that, Sam placed his money on the counter, got up and left. He didn't even turn around when Oliver and Jerry tried to call him back. He knew they were just trying to protect him, but they only saw the bad. He knew Andy had some issues with trust, but she was already starting to get past that. She had trusted Sam last night and even he was surprised at how happy that made him feel. And he sure as hell wasn't going to abandon her because things got a little tough. He didn't work that way.

And he was going to prove it to her.

* * *

Well at least Gail redeemed herself a little...now are we all mad at Noelle? :)


	4. Chapter 4

It feels like I jumped back and forth a little, but hopefully the timing was still easy enough to follow. Enjoy. And as always, thanks for the reviews.

* * *

It was pretty tame by their standards, but it had been a long week. So when Traci decided to head home before midnight, Andy didn't protest. She was already exhausted; one good night's sleep wasn't enough to make up for a week's worth of restless nights.

Andy happily snuggled down into her covers, remembering at the last minute that she hadn't turned off her cell phone. She reached over to grab it from the night stand and noticed that she had a text. Curious she pushed the button to read it. 'Hope you had a good night. Talk to you tomorrow.'

It had been sent over an hour ago, but she still felt the need to reply before going to sleep. 'I did. Thanks. Night, Sam.'

Lost in thought about the man on the other end of the message, it took her a few seconds before she moved to shut it off - just long enough for his quick reply. 'Night, McNally.'

With a huge grin, she turned off the phone and the lights, and settled in for some sweet dreams.

* * *

Sam had gotten home from the Penny earlier than planned. After he left Noelle sitting at the bar, he really had nothing else to do but go home. He wasn't in the mood for company and he was still a little pissed at his friends for jumping on him about Andy.

As soon as he walked through the door, he decided to send Andy a text just so she knew he was thinking about her. He then turned on the TV and caught up on the sports highlights before deciding to call it a night. He was just about to shut his phone off and head to bed when it buzzed. He read Andy's text and replied quickly, the last of his bad mood was gone. There was something very intimate about exchanging good nights just before bed, even if they weren't in the same place. And it just felt right.

The next morning, Sam woke with the alarm and a smile as he turned on his phone and remembered Andy's text. He quickly made some breakfast and started with the few things he had to do around his house. He spent the morning trying to do chores but found that more often than not he was getting sidetracked thinking about Andy and her father. He tried not to let it get to him, but it was hard. He really cared about what happened to her and he hated to see her hurting. He wasn't sure how she was going to take it if her father did indeed need a new liver.

He ended up doing more thinking than actual work and had to leave most of his chores undone when he headed to the Shaw's. He was invited for lunch and then a football game before he and Oliver both had to head into the station for the evening shift. Sam got there just before noon, and as usual, he was greeted at the door with a one-armed man hug from Oliver and a real hug from Zoe. They had just sat down for lunch when Oliver tried to jump start the conversation. "You left the Penny in quite a hurry last night."

"Yeah, well. I was kind of done talking." _And I was kind of hoping you'd all gotten the hint._

"Sammy, you know…"

"Oliver, I'm really not in the mood today okay. If this is how it's going to be, I might as well leave now." Sam offered. "I have other things I could be doing or I'm sure I can find someone…"

"That's what I'm afraid of." Oliver mumbled.

"What?" Sam was hoping he hadn't heard him right.

"Nothing…you're staying here…relax. You don't have anything else to do."

The rest of lunch was fairly subdued and Zoe tried to fill the uncomfortable silence with stories about their girls who were currently staying with friends for the afternoon. The minute they finished eating, they moved to the family room and sat down in front of the big screen TV. The game they wanted to watch had already started.

Sam tried to enjoy the game, but he found that every so often Oliver or Zoe would be giving him a look. He had really been hoping to get through the day without another lecture about Andy; because not only did it irritate him, but it also kept reminding him of what she was going through and what little he could do to help.

It was finally time to leave for work and Sam heaved a sigh of relief; he thought he was going to get out unscathed as he rushed for the door, but Oliver stopped him. "Sammy, I know you don't want to hear this and I'm not going to go on and on, but I just want you to know that it's only because we want what's best for you. We're worried."

Sam looked back at them. "What makes you think that Andy's not best for me? How do you know she isn't?"

"Well what kind of woman jumps so quickly from one man to another?" Zoe asked, only really knowing what Oliver had shared with her.

Sam was shocked; he had never heard Zoe say anything remotely negative about anyone, especially someone she didn't know. Zoe almost recoiled from Sam's look; he wasn't angry but the disappointment was clear.

"I'm not sure what you guys think you know or what you've heard, but Andy has not jumped from one man to another. In fact, she's the one that's been putting on the brakes. If it was up to me…"

"Putting on the brakes?" Oliver interrupted. "Callahan just broke up with her on the weekend and she's crying to you before the week is even up. And then you're picking her up from work and taking her home. What do you call that?"

"I call it helping a friend."

"Sammy, you know you don't think of her as just a friend."

"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with helping her." Sam grumbled.

"There is if it means more to you than it does to her. She needs to start thinking about someone else besides herself."

"Are you kidding me? Of course she's thinking about herself right now and how can you blame her?"

Something in Sam snapped and his voice started to get louder. "How would you feel if you had to give part of yourself to a man that has done nothing but make your life miserable. Do you think it's easy for her to watch him throw his life away only to realize that she may be his only hope once again? And this time she might literally have to cut herself open to save him. She's done nothing but put his needs before hers in the past so sue me if I agree that she deserves to think about herself right now. And I'm sorry if you don't agree that she deserves some support from her partner? "

When his tirade was finished, Sam looked up to see the same look of shock on the faces of both Oliver and Zoe. As his eyes darted between theirs, he immediately realized what he had done and panic started to set in. Sam sat down before his legs gave out. Zoe and Oliver exchanged looks of concern. They had never seen Sam so overwhelmed before.

"What's wrong?" Zoe asked anxiously as she moved to place a hand on his shoulder. "Do you need anything?"

"I betrayed her." He said so quietly she wasn''t sure they heard him correctly.

"What?"

"I broke her trust." He repeated, almost like he couldn't believe it himself. "I know you don't know her very well, but she doesn't trust many people and she trusted me…and I just blew it." He dropped his head into his hands. "I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. She's going to hate me."

"She won't hate you." Zoe swore. _The girl would have to be crazy to hate Sam._

"Maybe not, but if she can't trust me, she'll never… Dammit." He yelled.

"It's fine Sammy." Oliver assured him. "You know we won't say anything."

"I know but that's not the point. You guys are so worried that she's going to break my heart or that she's not good enough for me when it's the other way around. Dammit! She finally trusted me; I mean completely trusted me and I let her down just like everyone else she ever let herself believe in."

Zoe sat down next to him and just rubbed his back. Neither she nor Oliver knew quite what to say to Sam. When he finally seemed to calm down a little, Oliver confirmed. "Her Dad?"

"He's been in the hospital all week." Sam replied. "That's all I'm saying."

"Oh." Oliver responded; he didn't know what else to offer.

He and Sam left for the station in silence. He knew his friend was hurting and it was not at all how he thought it was going to happen.

* * *

Andy had woken up just before 10:00am and after making a quick breakfast she made her way to the hospital. She was spending the afternoon with her dad.

When she got there, he let her know that they would be meeting with the doctor tomorrow to find out the full extent of his condition and what further treatment it would entail. Apparently, it was also very likely that he was going to be going home then, as his condition had stabilized.

After a couple hours with her dad, Andy took the bus home for a quick nap and shower in preparation for the first evening shift of the week. Sam would not be waiting with coffee today though; he was at Oliver's watching football and they would be coming in together.

Even though she knew he wouldn't be coming to get her, she was content in the knowledge that she knew where he was and what he was doing, and that he had wanted to share his plans with her. And with those thoughts, she quickly fell asleep.

When Andy finally got to the station, she was running a little late. She had hit the snooze button on her alarm one too many times and didn't even get a chance to shower before she came in. She put her uniform on in record time and was about to go to parade when Noelle walked back in. She had been waiting for the room to empty.

"McNally, can I talk to you for a minute." She asked.

"Sure." Andy replied.

Noelle had been rethinking her conversation with Sam ever since she got up that morning, and she decided she needed a little more information. She didn't think Sam would be eager to talk to her, and besides she always preferred to go straight to the source. "What happened with you and Callahan?"

"What do you mean?" Andy was surprised. She and Noelle had rarely had a personal conversation, though Andy was pretty sure this wasn't really about her.

"I mean…you broke up right?"

Andy knew that Noelle had reservations about her and Sam as a couple. Although she hadn't planned on talking about this to anyone else, she was hoping that it might alleviate some of Noelle's concerns. She had told Traci last night that Sam's friends needed to accept her; maybe this could be a step in the right direction.

"We had a disagreement on the weekend and I realized that it wasn't going to work so I broke up with him." Andy replied.

"You broke up with him?" Noelle clarified.

"Yes."

"You realize how it looks?"

"I do." Andy answered truthfully. "But I'm not going to keep dredging it up. It's over and I need to move on. I don't have time to worry about it right now; I have some personal things that I need to work through and they're more important than 'how things look'. I just want it to go away so I can get on with…my life."

"OK." Noelle said, knowing exactly what Andy meant by 'my life'.

It probably would have bothered her more last night, but she had just gained a new-found respect for Andy and she realized that it was time she let Sam make his own decisions when it came to his partner. Noelle turned to leave.

"Officer Williams?" Andy called her back.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"For what?" Noelle wondered.

"For asking." Andy answered sincerely. "Most everyone else just assumed and didn't even bother to find out…so I really appreciate that you took the time to come and ask."

Noelle felt a little guilty, knowing that her motivation to ask wasn't that pure, but she simply said, "You're welcome."

When Andy got into parade, she tried to catch Sam's eye but he wouldn't even look at her. She couldn't understand why; it was the last thing she expected after exchanging late night greetings with him last night. Even once they got out to the cruiser and started riding around, he stayed quiet and avoided eye contact.

After a half hour, Andy had finally had enough. "Sam, what's wrong? Did I…"

_She thinks it's her fault. _He couldn't take the guilt; he had to tell her and hope for the best. "Please don't be mad, Andy. I didn't mean to; it just came out. I know I shouldn't have, but they won't tell anyone."

"Sam, slow down. What are you talking about?" Andy was thoroughly confused.

Sam pulled over to the side of the road. "I went the Shaw's for lunch and football today."

That wasn't news. "I know. You told me on Saturday that you were going."

"I know, but it just came out."

"What came out?"

"About your dad." He replied as he let his head flop back onto the seat.

This was not at all what Andy had expected; she thought she should be angry but for some reason she wasn't...at least not yet. She decided to hear him out first. "What about him?"

"Andy, you told me that people were giving you a hard time about me. Well they've been giving me a hard time too. For the last few days, my friends have been taking it upon themselves to make certain that I'm sure about you."

Sam could instantly sense the change in Andy's demeanor. He lifted his head off the seat and leaned over to grab her chin so he could look her in the eye. "I am you know."

She tried to give him a small smile in return.

He dropped his hand and turned to stare out the front windshield. "They have no idea what's going on and it's been so hard to hear them talk about you knowing that they are completely wrong. Anyway, I finally cracked." He paused to take a deep breath. "I was over at the Shaw's and they were asking about you…well, more than asking…and I just blurted it out."

"They know he's sick and in the hospital, but I didn't tell them why or anything else." He assured.

He turned in his seat to face Andy, but couldn't meet her gaze. Instead he just stared down at her hands. "I hate that you can't trust me anymore, Andy, but please say you don't hate me."

She put her hand on his. "Sam?"

"What?" He asked, still too ashamed to look at her.

"Sam, look at me." She ordered.

He looked up and was surprised to see that she wasn't angry. He didn't see hatred or disappointment either.

"It's ok." She promised.

"It is?"

"Yes, if anything, I trust you even more."

"How?" He couldn't believe it.

She wasn't entirely sure how or why. But although she was a little disappointed, she knew for a fact that he hadn't done it on purpose. "First because I can see how much you've already beaten yourself up over it. And second, you could have hid this; if they didn't say anything, I might have never known. But you still told me, and that means a lot."

He dropped his gaze and put his other hand on hers; he was completely relieved. "God, Andy, I was so scared. I thought I blew it. We hadn't even started and I thought I already blew it. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For forgiving me."

"What can I say? You're irresistible when you're begging." She teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Begging?" He looked up just in time to catch the twinkle in her eye before she laughed.

He grinned and turned to look out the window. "Fine I **was** begging, but don't let it get out; you wouldn't want to ruin my reputation."

That was not the right thing to say and Andy immediately became quiet. Sam looked back over to see that the smile was gone and he realized what she must be thinking. "Andy, no. I know people are going to talk. Hell they already are. But I don't care what other people think."

"Even when it's your best friends?" She couldn't help but wonder.

"They'll come around."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know them, and I know they'll just be happy that I'm happy. And Andy…being with you makes me happy."

She smiled shyly. "I hope you're right."

"I am right…and I mean Ollie is already figuring it out." He remembered before suggesting, "but it might go faster if we let the others know. Are you sure you don't want to tell people?"

"I'll think about it." She offered.

Sam left it at that.

He had just pulled away from the curb when a call came in. Andy flipped the light as Sam headed to the scene, thankful that they were able to get it out in the open so fast. After starting the evening so worried that he was going to have to suffer all shift, he now felt like he could at least breathe again.

For the rest of the night, they made small talk – mostly about Tommy. Andy let Sam know that they would be getting the final prognosis tomorrow before she took her dad home. Sam asked if she wanted him to come, but she assured him that she would be fine. He did make her promise to call him if she needed him though, or if she wanted him to pick them up to take her dad home. She thought that might be OK and told him she would confirm tomorrow.

At the end of the night, after Sam insisted on driving her home, Andy was very quiet and contemplative. He knew that she had a lot to think about.

"OK…you better go try and get some sleep." He advised, knowing there was a distinct possibility she might not get much. "You've got a big day tomorrow."

"I know." She agreed

"You're taking your dad home tomorrow."

"I know."

"You'll find out exactly how he's doing."

"I know." She repeated, trying to take a deep breath.

"…If he needs a new…"

"I know."

"Andy, I'm here if you need me." Sam promised.

And that's when she knew she had been right to trust Sam because she had never been more certain of anything or anyone in her entire life. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips before she looked him in the eye and whispered, "I know."


	5. Chapter 5

**New tite: Anytime, McNally**

I thought this was going to be the last chapter, but it just kept on going so I split it into two. Also, I'm going to be changing the name of the story when it's all said and done. When I first started, I had trouble deciding what to call it and never really liked what I came up with. I'm not sure how it affects the alerts so I won't do it until later, but I'm renaming it to "Anytime, McNally."

Also, I don't know a lot about liver disease, but I don't think I'm too far off track.

* * *

"Andy, I'm here if you need me." Sam promised.

And that's when she knew she had been right to trust Sam because she had never been more certain of anything or anyone in her entire life. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips before she looked him in the eye and whispered, "I know."

Sam watched as she walked up to her building and through the door, only pulling away when he saw the lights go on in her apartment.

The next morning Andy woke up early. Normally she would have tried to sleep in a little, but she wasn't sure what time the doctor would be coming in to talk to her dad and she didn't want to miss it.

She grabbed a quick breakfast and shower and headed over to the hospital. As she approached her dad's room, she thought she heard laughter coming from inside. As she got closer she heard her dad talking to someone that he clearly knew. He hadn't had any visitors that she knew of besides herself and Sam, and as she found out yesterday, Boyko. _Maybe he was back._

When the door opened further, both men turned to the noise. Her dad smiled, happy to see her and Oliver just looked surprised, actually he looked more like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He had decided yesterday, after he found out from Sam, that he wanted to come and see his former TO. He hoped he could be in and out of there before Andy showed up; he assumed she would be sleeping in.

"Hi Honey." Tommy greeted her.

"Hi Dad." She replied.

"So…yeah…hey McNally." Shaw stuttered out.

"Officer Shaw." She greeted.

"So…yeah…I guess I should leave you two alone." Shaw offered, clearly a little uncomfortable.

"It's fine." Andy assured.

"Are you sure? Cause I know I wasn't supposed to…"

"Sam told me." She explained.

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, then." He really didn't want to cause Sam any more trouble than he already had.

Oliver stayed for about another half hour and Andy enjoyed listening to his stories about when her dad was his TO. She had heard a little bit from Sam but it was fun to hear the ones that involved her father more. And she was happy to see that he seemed to be enjoying the visit from Shaw as well.

Oliver left telling Andy he'd see her at work later and Tommy told him to keep in touch. When the door closed behind Oliver, Tommy inquired. "You haven't told people?"

Andy was a little sheepish; she wasn't sure she wanted her father to know exactly why she was keeping it to herself. Part of the reason was she preferred to keep private matters private, but the other reason was that she wasn't proud of how her father ended up here.

"It's ok; I understand that you don't want people to know."

"I'm sorry but I just don't think it's any of their business." It was partially true.

"And I'm sure you don't want them asking exactly what happened either." He guessed.

Andy hung her head and then nodded slightly.

"It's ok, honey. I understand. I'm not exactly proud of how I got here either. But they teach you that part of recovery is owning up to what you've done and taking responsibility for your actions. I know you have nothing to own up to, but sometimes it just makes things easier if you tell people. You did tell Swarek."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"Because Sam is…it's just different."

Tommy smiled; he knew. "I just want you to know that I don't care who finds out, and from what Shaw told me people have been worried about you. If they're your friends, they'll just want to be there for you."

She nodded again, not sure exactly how to respond to that.

After a few moments of quiet, Tommy blurted out. "I don't want you to do it."

Andy was confused. "Do what?"

"I don't want you to be the donor if I need a new liver."

Andy was shocked and she felt the need to sit down. "What? Why?"

"I've already caused you enough problems. The last thing I want is for you to have to suffer any more pain because of me. I've done enough already."

"Dad…"

"No." He interrupted. "I mean it Andy…I don't even want you to get tested."

"I appreciate that you don't want to hurt me dad, but…"

"Andy, I know things haven't been easy for you. After your mother left, I really dropped the ball. From the time you were 14, you were always more of the parent than I was. You took care of yourself and you took care of me. Even after you moved out, you still kept taking care of me or tried to. I didn't even make that easy. But now things are going so well for you. I can tell you're happy with your job, and Shaw says you're doing great."

Andy smiled at that; she didn't think he even noticed.

"Andy, I don't want to get in the way of that." He said before continuing a little more reluctantly. "It seems like things are going better for you personally too."

"I've worried about you for a long time, Andy. I was so worried that you wouldn't find someone you can count on. Heaven knows you've never been able to count on your family. I watched you with different guys, but I could always tell that you weren't committed, that you were always holding back. You never trusted any of them. I may be mistaken, but I have a feeling that's changing."

Andy blushed and looked down. Although she and Sam weren't technically in a relationship, she did trust him and depend on him. And it was a really good feeling that had been missing for a long time.

"I'm working on it." Was all she said, but they both knew she was past just working on it.

"I'm glad. I am serious, though Andy...I mean about the transplant."

"Let's not worry about that till we know for sure." Andy bartered.

"OK." He agreed before changing the subject. "So did you bring my car? How are we getting home?"

"If it's ok, I think I'll call Sam to come and get us." She proposed. "He offered yesterday."

Tommy smiled and agreed; that was proof if he ever heard it.

Andy sent Sam a quick text to let him know that they would take him up on his suggestion. When he responded by asking when she needed him, she told him that she would call as soon as she knew the time.

Tommy's lunch arrived at noon and Andy ran to the cafeteria to grab a little something too. They had just finished eating when the doctor came in and closed the door behind him. Andy stood beside her father anxious to hear the news that could change her life.

The doctor started by telling them that Tommy had indeed done a great deal of damage to his liver; it wasn't functioning efficiently and that was why he had gotten so sick. There was good news though; at this point, he did not need a liver transplant.

Andy started to cry in relief. The doctor placed his hand on her arm in reassurance. He was just about to continue when the door opened with a knock and Sam walked in. He had received Andy's text but he didn't want to wait; he wanted to be there for her. He thought he could visit with her and Tommy and then wait outside when the doctor came.

When he saw the doctor already there, he was about to apologize for interrupting and back right out. But then he noticed Andy crying and he was torn. He started to move towards Andy to comfort her when the doctor stopped his progress. "Would you mind waiting outside for a few minutes."

Sam wasn't looking at him; he was looking at Andy. As much as he wanted to stay for her, he was about to turn around and comply when Tommy spoke up. "It's fine; I'd like him to stay."

Tommy received a look of gratitude from both Sam and Andy. Sam rushed over and took Andy in his arms. She didn't fight him at all; she just let him comfort her. She took a deep breath and motioned for the doctor to continue. Sam was still worried though as he had no idea why Andy was crying.

"As I said, we don't feel that a transplant is necessary at this point." Sam met Andy's eyes then and realized that they were tears of relief. He offered her a soft smile which she returned.

"However, you do need to change your lifestyle considerably and it's going to take a lot of work on your part to get your system back on track. You have already done a lot of damage, but thankfully the liver is a very forgiving organ and it has the capacity to regenerate. If you had continued on the path you were on, it would have been too late very soon. But as it is, you still have enough tissue left for it to regenerate. It's going to take some time, but it can happen. But Mr. McNally you cannot afford a relapse. If you start abusing alcohol again, I'm afraid the next time won't be good news."

Tommy nodded his head. He knew he was in for a rough road, but he was sure he could get through it and he was so thankful that Andy wouldn't become collateral damage.

Andy still couldn't speak as she leaned into Sam, relying on his strength. So he asked. "What happens now?"

"I've set up an appointment with our nutritionist and she will assist Mr. McNally with a diet that will help him get through this." He turned to Tommy. "You'll need to watch what you eat. She'll be able to suggest items that will not tax your system and aid in your recovery. If you stay away from the alcohol, and follow her instructions, I don't expect to see you here anytime soon. I won't be seeing you...will I?"

"Absolutely not." Tommy swore.

That broke Andy out of daze; her dad had promised many times before but this was the first time he really sounded like he meant it. She smiled through her tears and Sam could tell she was feeling better; he squeezed her tighter and she looked up to see him wink. He had heard the conviction in Tommy's voice too.

Tommy watched the entire exchange and it did his heart good. He liked seeing Andy like this and he knew Swarek was good for her.

"So can we go then?" Andy asked quietly.

"I'll have the nurse bring in the paperwork and once it's all signed; you can take him home."

All three of them thanked the doctor. When the nurse came in with the papers, she walked Tommy through them as Sam and Andy stepped to the other side of the room.

"Are you ok?" Sam wondered, thankful to finally have a quiet moment alone.

"I'm fine." She assured. "I'm really glad you came though."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

They were looking into each other's eyes and Sam started to lean in. He was so happy that things had worked out for her and so happy that she had let him in. He really wanted to kiss her. They were millimeters apart when they heard someone clearing their throat. They both looked up a little embarrassed; the paperwork was done and Tommy was waiting in a wheelchair that the nurse had brought in.

"I guess we should go then." Sam said before grabbing Andy's hand and leading her towards her father. Sam had to let go of Andy's hand to push the wheelchair and he heard a soft whimper of protest. He looked up at her and grinned. He grabbed her arm and wrapped it around one of his. She smiled back and leaned on his shoulders and mouthed. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime, McNally."

They drove Tommy home and walked him up to his apartment. He assured them that he would be fine and told them to get going so they could relax a little before work. Andy promised that she would check in with him a few times during the evening. He told her that wouldn't be necessary but conceded when he realized she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Sam then drove Andy towards her apartment. "Do you need to go home?" She asked, hoping he didn't.

"No I wasn't sure how long it would take so I brought everything with me."

"Do you want to come in then?" She offered.

"I thought you'd never ask." He answered with a grin.

After parking in front of her building, Sam followed Andy upstairs. He watched as Andy entered her apartment and proceeded to ignore him; she was completely lost in her own thoughts. After a few minutes, Sam finally reached for Andy's hand to move her to the couch. "Andy, can we sit down?"

She looked up almost surprised that he was there. "Sorry…I just can't believe…I think it's going to be ok."

"It **is** going to be ok."

"Do you think he really meant it? Because it seemed like he really meant it."

"I do." Sam agreed.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"Andy, it's going to be ok."

"I know. I'm just so relieved." She explained.

"Me too." He agreed. "I was so tired of seeing you hurting and I really didn't want you to have to go through any more."

She met his eyes. "Thank you so much for being there for me Sam. I don't know what I would've done without you."

"Andy, I wanted to be there. I have never wanted to be there for someone more than I did today. You will never have to worry about doing anything like that alone again."

She reached over and hugged him. "Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime, McNally."

They just stood there in each other's arms both content to be close until Sam broke the silence. "So are you thinking straight yet?"

She leaned back and chuckled not sure she was following this turn in the conversation. "What?"

"Are you thinking straight?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Remember in the Penny last week when you first told me about your Dad."

"Ye-es." Andy thought back over their conversation. '_I wish I was in that place right now Sam, because I know I've been hoping for more too; I really have. I could never fully commit to Luke when my heart wanted you. But I have so much going on right now that I can't even think straight._'

Recognition and joy dawned in her eyes so Sam pushed it a little further. "Still got a lot going on? You know your dad is home now and…"

Andy laughed. "Sam."

"Come on, Andy. I know you just found out, but I think we both know there's something here and it's not going away any time soon. Can we at least agree to give it a shot?"

"Sam Swarek, are you asking me out?"

He looked in her eyes and pulled her close. His lips brushed hers gently. "As a matter of fact…I am."

She smiled against his lips as she recalled another part of their conversation. "You're right, you know."

He looked at her questioningly, waiting for her to continue.

"I can't resist you." She whispered before closing her eyes and deepening the kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

Another tale comes to an end. Be sure to let me know what you think.

* * *

The afternoon shift was going to start soon so when Jerry saw Oliver and Noelle, he decided he'd better take his chance while he could. "Have either of you talked to Sammy today?"

"No, why?" Noelle wanted to know.

"He's still not here yet and I wanted to talk to him. Hey how did you guys make out with him on the weekend?" Jerry wondered.

The two exchanged looks. They had both already decided that they'd said enough to Sam and now it was up to him.

"I think it's time we left it up to Sammy." Oliver recommended.

"What? Are you kidding me? Noelle?" He tried.

"I agree with Oliver. Sam knows what he's doing. I think we need to let it go and see how it plays out."

"Come on…we all know..." Jerry started again.

"No Jerry we don't know." Noelle argued. "And I think that's the problem. We've made a lot of assumptions, but we don't know."

Jerry looked at her quizzically. "Actually I'm beginning to wonder if I'm the only one who doesn't know. What's going on?"

Neither Oliver nor Noelle really knew the story 100%; they both had different halves of the same tale. But Shaw wasn't able to share his half with Noelle or anyone for that matter, so he had simply agreed when she suggested they let it go.

"Fine…I'll just talk to him myself." Jerry said as he moved to start his search again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Oliver warned.

"Why not?"

"Because Sam is a grown man; he can make his own decisions and he made this one. If you push this any further, you might get more than you bargained for." Noelle advised. "Instead of protecting a friend, you could end up losing one."

"There's no way Sammy would choose her over me." Jerry argued.

"Don't push it, Jerry. Don't put Sam in that position."

Jerry just walked away; he'd do it on his own if he had to. He was supposed to be heading home now, but he was going to hang around for a bit to see if he could catch Sam before he took off for his shift. Jerry turned at the opening of a door to see Sam and Andy hustling in together looking flushed and obviously running late. He just shook his head and muttered under his breath as he walked away.

Sam and Andy split up at the locker rooms, just as Dov and Chris met up with Traci and Gail all coming out to head to parade. The rookies watched Sam and Andy exchange a smile before separating.

Dov's head was flipping back and forth between the two doors. "She looked better; do you think it's because…are she and Swarek…"

The other three just laughed at Dov's antics. Chris and Gail had had a heart to heart after her day with Andy and were on the same page. Gail was just as supportive as Chris now; after her talks with both Andy and Chris and after seeing Andy with Swarek, Gail did not doubt that Andy's feelings were genuine. And with the help of one of her former TO's, she was actually hoping she might cement her position in the group a little more. In fact, she had a plan to show just how much she was a part of the 'team'. _The truth shall set you free._

Sam and Andy were the last to join parade; they had rushed in thinking they were going to be late but Best hadn't made it in yet. They looked up to see that he was in his office with Boyko; it appeared that parade was going to be a little late getting started. No one dared leave though because they knew Frank could be out at any time. The only thing that would get them to leave would be a call coming in and so far the radios were quiet.

When Jerry noticed that Best was busy, he joined the parade as well hoping to corner Sam.

Gail glanced over to the TO's who were gathered at the back of the room. She locked eyes with Noelle who flashed her 3 fingers behind her back. Gail promptly turned her radio to the seldom used channel as did Noelle. Gail did a quick check to see that Best was still in his office. After a nod from Noelle, Gail started to move to the other side of the room towards Luke Callahan's office. Just before she opened the door, she 'accidentally' turned her radio on.

_Flashback_

_Noelle and Gail were both in early as they had a couple of things they needed to take care of before shift. Neither woman had changed into her uniform yet. They had each just dropped off their stuff and then met up as they exited the locker room at the same time._

_Just as they walked out, Luke Callahan walked by and greeted them. They were both civil to his face, but the minute he was out of range they both muttered 'ass' under their breath._

_They looked at each other. "McNally tell you?" Noelle asked._

"_Yeah…you too?"_

_Noelle nodded. "I can't believe she's letting him get away with it though. I mean understand where she's coming from but still."_

"_I know…I sure wouldn't mind taking him down a few notches…the way he's been strutting around here."_

_Noelle couldn't have agreed more and so a plan was hatched._

_End Flashback_

With a quick knock, Gail waltzed right in. "Detective Callahan."

"What is it Peck? I'm kind of busy here." He grumbled, barely looking up from his desk.

"I can see that. I was just wondering…I mean I know Andy broke up with you."

Luke could hear the loud rumblings in the parade room – as soon as everyone heard Peck start talking, they started laughing a little thinking she didn't really know her radio was on. They were all a little confused though as to why it was only coming from Noelle's radio. Noelle shushed everyone quickly as Gail pulled the door closed behind her.

"What's going on out there?" Luke wondered, starting to move towards the door.

"Oh nothing…" Gail assured. "The natives are just getting restless. Best is still talking to Boyko."

"Oh…so what did you want again?" He asked, once more rooting through the papers on his desk.

"So Andy broke up with you?"

Out in the parade room, Andy met Sam's eyes, panic apparent in hers. She wanted to go in and stop Gail, but Sam had figured out what the ladies were up to and he wasn't going to let Luke off that easy. He just shook his head at Andy, silently asking her to trust him once again and let it play out.

When she nodded in return, he winked back to try and assure her that it would all be OK. After receiving a small smile in return, Sam shifted his gaze and chuckled to himself when he saw Jerry standing off to the side with his mouth hanging wide open as he listened to the conversation in the other room.

"Yea…so?" Callahan responded.

"You're not denying it?" Gail challenged.

"Well she obviously told you what happened so it's not going to make much difference what I say."

"Aren't you afraid that she'll tell everyone? You have been making it sound like you broke up with her."

"I never said that." He defended.

"No, but you haven't denied it either." Gail disputed.

"I can't help what everyone assumes."

"No, but don't you think you owe it to Andy to tell the truth."

"I don't owe her anything." Luke argued. "She cancelled on a very important dinner and then walked out on me. I'm not too worried about her feelings."

"Did she have a good reason?"

"What difference does that make?"

Gail couldn't believe he even had to ask. "Seriously?"

"Well, If you call her train wreck of a…"

"Peck!" Luke didn't get a chance to finish before Gail was being called back to parade.

"Gotta run!" She yelped, before darting back out the door, closing it quickly behind her as she shut off her radio.

When she walked out she had a huge smile on her face which only grew when she saw all the ones greeting her; to say the majority were stunned would be an understatement. And the grins on the faces of Sam, Noelle, Traci, and Chris were as big as hers. She looked at Andy who, though blushing, gave her a small smile and mouthed "Thanks."

Gail just winked and took her seat, glancing up to see Boyko walking away from Frank's office.

Once the shock wore off of the other officers, the conversations started all over the room. How could they not see that Callahan was lying? What could Andy have cancelled for? And why would she have walked out on him?

They were about to get their answer from an unlikely source. Boyko stuck his head into the room, which immediately fell silent. "McNally."

She looked up. "Yes, sir."

"Rough week?"

This afternoon was just getting weirder and weirder as the other officers were all astounded once again. _Why in the hell would Boyko be asking about her love life…and in front of everyone? _

"A little sir." She responded.

"Well I'm glad to hear that your father is out of the hospital. Sounds like things are much better now."

"Yes…they are, sir. Thank you." Andy replied.

"Good!" He looked around wondering why everyone was so hung up on the conversation.

"Carry on." He said as he walked away.

Boyko was barely out of the room when it erupted, and that was what Andy had been afraid of. Now they would all be talking about her dad and wondering why he was sick. She hung her head for a few seconds until she realized that it was not what was on everyone's mind. The only thing they appeared to be talking about was what an ass Luke had been for letting them believe what he did and for being mad at Andy when she cancelled most likely because of her father. They all seemed to be angry at Luke and not at all concerned about why Andy's dad was sick. _Huh._

Dov leaned over. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Chris nodded. "We would have helped you know."

"I know, guys and I'm sorry," she said as she took in all of her friends including Gail. "I don't like to talk about my dad much."

"It's ok, Andy. We don't need details." Gail responded. "We just want you to know that we're here."

"Thanks…and thanks, Gail for…"

"Yeah, whatever." Gail interrupted. "He didn't deserve to get away without taking some responsibility."

At the back of the room, Sam strolled over to Jerry. "You might want to close your mouth, Jer." His jaw was still hanging open; he could not believe what had just happened.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jerry asked, having the decency to be at least a little embarrassed.

"It wasn't my story to tell." Sam explained.

"So you did choose her over me."

How he got to that conclusion, Sam had no idea. "What?"

"You chose McNally over your friends."

"Why does it have to mean one or the other?" Sam asked. "I've kept your secrets before but that doesn't mean I chose you over Ollie and Noelle."

"But this is different."

"Why?"

"Because she's not one of us; we've all been friends forever and frankly, we're still not sure about her."

"You don't have to be sure; I do. You just have to trust me on that. If you make it one over the other, then you're the one that's choosing not me. Because I have no intention of doing that and neither does Andy for that matter. Jerry, you have to accept that she is going to be a part of my life."

"But…you said you were just helping her as a friend."

"I was, but now that my friend duties appear to be over, I'm hoping it'll be something more."

"I knew it."

"I never made a secret of it." Sam reminded him.

"No…you didn't."

"Can you at least admit that it wasn't what it looked like? That she wasn't using me."

"Fine." Jerry conceded.

"Well, it's a start." Sam stated, knowing it was going to take some time for Jerry to come around.

"You're my friend Jerry and as far as I'm concerned this doesn't change that. But I won't give up Andy for you…you're not nearly as cute." Sam added with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah…but I am sexy." Jerry retorted, trying to get back in Sam's good graces at least a little.

"I hate to break it to you buddy, but she is…"

Before Sam could finish, Best entered the room anxious to get everyone on their way. "OK, OK, party's over. Take a seat…Barber, can you grab Callahan? I need him in here for a minute."

Jerry's eyes widened in response as everyone looked around at each other. He watched as each face in the room seemed to harden instantly. Best couldn't help but sense the change in mood though he had no idea why. "Barber?"

"Yeah, yeah." Jerry answered making his way over to Luke's office.

He knocked and entered at the same time. "Care to join us?" He invited knowing full well that Luke was going to wish he hadn't.

When Luke walked in, he was shocked to say the least. Almost every eye in the room was shooting daggers at him and he had no idea why until he locked eyes with Peck. His gaze narrowed as she gave him a wink and waved her radio at him; he knew then that their private conversation had been far from it.

He cleared his throat and walked over to Frank, careful not to look at anyone else though he would have loved to send a glare Andy's way; he had a feeling he wouldn't be living this down for awhile. Luke passed his notes to Best and asked him to give the update himself. He then made a quick excuse to exit leaving Frank bewildered. It wasn't long before they all saw Luke rush past the windows on his way out of the station. Frank's confusion merely grew when the apparent anger in the room completely dissipated only to be replaced by muffled laughter.

Enough time had been wasted though, so he made quick work of the announcements before sending everyone on their way. He made his way back up to his office, but not before he looked to the TO's and raised his eyebrows as if asking 'OK, which one of you is going to tell me what that was all about.'

That would have to be decided later.

Since they were already late getting started, everyone rushed around to gather up what they needed and head out.

Sam and Andy found themselves alone in the back hallway on their way out the door. Since no one seemed to be following them, Sam swung Andy around quickly and pinned her against the wall. She barely had time to gasp in surprise before Sam captured her lips with his.

It didn't take long for Andy to lose all coherent thought. But as quick as Sam had grabbed her he was gone; he had heard everyone else coming and was moving towards the door. Andy was just getting her bearings again and she pushed off the wall just as the rest of the group came around the corner.

"Anytime, McNally!" Sam pretended to grouch, trying to hold in his grin as he held open the door.

All Dov heard was the voice; he couldn't see the twinkle in Sam's eye. "What's with Swarek?"

_Me…_ was Andy's only thought as Sam placed his warm hand on her lower back and led her out the door.


End file.
